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Armagh have shown glimpses of the 2022 championship form this year but I'd still be worried that they will slip back into last years negative mindset when faced with better opposition. The same thing happened in the League final again when the stakes were heightened and the fear of losing took over. 

The Ulster final, should we get there, could well be the defining game of the season because they won't be winning an All Ireland title. For a lot of those players it's probably the last chance saloon to try and win meaningful silverware.

I'd honestly think more of management if we went gung ho and ended up losing rather than going out and playing cowardly football like the Monaghan quarter final.

Hopefully we can strike a happy medium though!

Yes, I'd ageee with that. I've no problem losing providing we do so by trying to win the match rather than playing not to lose and engaging in another arm wrestle. As well as being pain staking to watch it doesn't actually suit the type of player we have.

The Galway defeat in 2022 was one I could live with as it was enjoyable football to watch and we certainly had a go that season.

The split season cant help either.  I remember when the 1st round of the Ulster championship was a great day out played in late May or early June with decent weather.  Families could make a day of it and watch two knock out matches.  Yesterday only me and my brother could go.  His kids have exams coming up, there was no minor game, it was expensive, it was cold, it was wet it was windy and little to nothing rested on the outcome. Win and you had at least 4 matches left this season lose and you have at least 3 matches left.  I never liked the backdoor for what it did to the provincial championships it was the first nail in their coffin for me.  This current format is the final nail.

It definitely doesn't feel like championship as every game is heavily watered down in terms of what is at stake. It's not proper cup/championship football until the quarter finals. It will meant practically the same handful of teams will be in the last 4/8 every season.

There will be no more Cavan's or Tipperary giant killings as with the 2020 Covid championship season. 

Armagh have shown glimpses of the 2022 championship form this year but I'd still be worried that they will slip back into last years negative mindset when faced with better opposition. The same thing happened in the League final again when the stakes were heightened and the fear of losing took over. 

The Ulster final, should we get there, could well be the defining game of the season because they won't be winning an All Ireland title. For a lot of those players it's probably the last chance saloon to try and win meaningful silverware.

Sixty thousand empty seats in Croke Park for a Dublin Meath championship match.  What a sad state of affairs.

Sad indeed

A number of obvious reasons for it , but one thing I have to say  from watching  a numbers of games this weekend, is that  the quality of football right now is  absolutely dire

As a spectacle it really has become a poor game to watch. Ruined by over coaching and stats, the level of crowd engagement at a match has never been lower.

Yes and no.  The league final was a fantastic game. The latter stages of the AI last year were pretty compelling.  Lots of mismatches in the early stages, like every year, but that's not uncommon in sport. Look at the top 5 or 6 European soccer leagues this year, and the top teams are pretty much scunnering everyone else.

The League final was great but it was a rarity. I don't think we should be measuring it against soccer but it's almost become possession orientated in the way that soccer is. The difference is that the level of technical skill required in soccer is much higher to retain possession.

Gaelic football was not designed to be a possession sport. It should be a game of duels, collisions and end to end action played at fast pace. It has become anything but that due mostly to data analytics and professional coaches exploiting the rules.

Watched it on the replay and it didn't even register on the Sunday Game highlights which tells you all you need to know. A yellow card was the correct decision, no force in the challenge.

Paul Flynn talking about KPIs, pockets of space and horseshoes tonight. New age punditry.

Sixty thousand empty seats in Croke Park for a Dublin Meath championship match.  What a sad state of affairs.

Sad indeed

A number of obvious reasons for it , but one thing I have to say  from watching  a numbers of games this weekend, is that  the quality of football right now is  absolutely dire

As a spectacle it really has become a poor game to watch. Ruined by over coaching and stats, the level of crowd engagement at a match has never been lower.

Your money at the turnstile is effectively funding a host of professional coaches and over inflated backroom teams.

Awful game.
Fermanagh had their chances of goals but either miskicked, took the wrong option or just messed it up.
Armagh deserved winners - but goals aside, they didn't look overly impressive.
Missed a lot of frees. Didnt look fluid, should have scored more points from play given the way Fermanagh just kind of stopped. If I was from Armagh I'd be worried enough.

Jarly Og lucky to stay on the pitch imo.

Jarly Og is one of the least aggressive players on the Armagh squad so I'd be very surprised if there was any intent there. A yellow card was fair in that instance.

Sorry but I hate that "he's not that type of player"


It was high and dangerous what's his personality got to do with it? It was a red all day!

It's only relevant in so far as being useful when trying to gauge whether there was intent to hurt the opponent. I would doubt if there was. In real time it didn't look like a red card to me but I'd have to see it again.

In the bigger scheme it was irrelevant though as Fermanagh were already a beaten docket at that point.

Who, where and when has anyone "bigged up" Down?

I've seen plenty of comments on these threads and in the media. They were shoe ins for last years Tailteann Cup and the division 3 title and tipped by lots of pundits to win both of those finals.

They've definitely improved alright under Laverty but from what I've seen of them they lack players who can kick the ball, it's basically the Kilcoo blueprint being employed at county level. 

Awful game.
Fermanagh had their chances of goals but either miskicked, took the wrong option or just messed it up.
Armagh deserved winners - but goals aside, they didn't look overly impressive.
Missed a lot of frees. Didnt look fluid, should have scored more points from play given the way Fermanagh just kind of stopped. If I was from Armagh I'd be worried enough.

Jarly Og lucky to stay on the pitch imo.

Jarly Og is one of the least aggressive players on the Armagh squad so I'd be very surprised if there was any intent there. A yellow card was fair in that instance.

A fairly underwhelming performance from Armagh. Good for some players to get a bit of match fitness under the belts but for others you really have to wonder what it is they have on McGeeney. Fermanagh threw the towel in fairly early on and with no plan B were bullied into half time at which stage Armagh could see the game out without breaking a sweat. Down will be a much sterner test you'd imagine irrespective of their showing yesterday evening. A similar performance from Armagh won't do.

Armagh done what they needed to, were very clinical before putting the game to bed early once the second goal went in. We got good success early out of pressurising the Fermanagh defence high up the pitch and breaking at speed. After that it was a bit more subdued as we basically just seen the game out since the second half was a non event.

I don't get all of this bigging up of Down, they are about the same level as Fermanagh so that performance today absolutely would be enough. Derry on the other hand would be a different matter.

Very impressive half from Armagh, makes such a difference when we push up and put the opposition defence under pressure and the off the ball running has been excellent. 

Strong Armagh team named, glad to see Rian back starting where he belongs.

Geezer changing all the numbers around does my head in as if Fermanagh will think jarly og burns is going play corner forward and turbitt is going play wing forward.I would like see Rian get a run at midfield as think this a weak area for us, but burns, crealey or mackin could all play middle of the field.

Numbers mean nothing. Basically we will play with one or two men up the pitch (probably Murnin and Turbitt/Conaty), one or two men as designated markers at the back (Burns and McKay) with everybody else moving up and down the pitch. Same as nearly every team nowadays so this thing of lining out teams in 1-6-2-6 simply pre-dates the Jimmy McGuinness tactical revolution. It still bemuses me to see a half back get extra credit for picking off scores when they are often the best placed players on the team to kick points. 

Use of the word 'humble' or 'humbled' is a particular bugbear.

 

Every post match GAA interview must begin with 'sure lookit'.

For GAA pundits, it's deemed essential to insert terms such as pockets of space, backdoor cut, game time, transition in order to appear more sophisticated.   

And for the administrators the use of the term stakeholder is an absolute must.